Proposal for maritime college in Marshfield remains alive

A local nonprofit is still looking at Marshfield as the potential location for a marine and environmental community college, even though it has been more than a year since the town’s planning board endorsed the concept.

A local nonprofit is still looking at Marshfield as the potential location for a marine and environmental community college, even though it has been more than a year since the town’s planning board endorsed the concept.

The Marine and Environmental Education Alliance’s plan to build what would be called the Ocean Campus Center off Route 139 is still on the table, but some behind-the-scenes work remains to be done, the alliance’s president, Jeffrey Rosen, said Wednesday.

“We are continuing to pursue putting the building up in Marshfield, but we’re in some sensitive negotiations that I’m not at liberty to share,” Rosen said, adding that Massasoit Community College and the state are involved in the talks.

In March 2012, the Marshfield Planning Board endorsed the idea of alliance building the community college in Enterprise Park, behind the Roche Bros. supermarket. The college campus would offer associate degrees and certificate programs in marine and environmental disciplines.

“We still have the possibility of getting some land in Enterprise Park, but that is contingent on ongoing work,” Rosen said.

While there has been no formal application, Town Planner Paul Halkiotis said he has continued to check in with the group every few months.

“What I’m told is it’s still in progress and falling into place and coming soon,” he said.

Because the building project is associated with the state, the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance has a lengthy procedure it must follow, Halkiotis said.

“(The project) was tied up in that process for months,” he said.

The alliance would have to secure enough money to get the school up and running. An allocation from the state budget would be needed for the seed money.

Eventually, the school would be self-sustaining with tuition revenue, according to the alliance.

State Rep. James Cantwell, D-Marshfield, said the project is moving along, though there have not been any substantial developments.

“There are so many hoops to jump through, but I’m cautiously optimistic we’ll know more by next year,” he said.

In February of 2012, Scituate selectmen rejected a proposal from the alliance, saying the alliance had not shown enough financial strength to carry out the project, and that it had not provided a detailed timeline for financing, permitting, site work, construction and occupancy.

In that proposal, the Marine and Environmental Education Alliance said building the college would cost about $18 million.